Developing & nurturing individualised artistic
practices within collaborative artistic systems

I teach a wide range of subjects within theatre and arts education, specifically concerning the development of individualised performance practices that challenge more universal notions of expertise. The core foundation of this work centres around an awakening of the artist’s awareness of their own practicing of a practice by drawing attention to what they do that makes them a unique and authentic individual. As an acting teacher, my practice is inspired by my own Grotowski-based training at New York University’s Experimental Theatre Wing where I was taught Stephen Wangh’s method detailed in An Acrobat of the Heart. My classes focus on a more physical-based approach to actor training, providing practical tools that will awaken the students’ natural impulses that guide their imaginations and inner lives, strengthening their awareness of themselves, each other and the playing space itself. 

Italia Conti (Woking, UK) — I served as the interim Head of 3rd Year BA (Hons) Acting at Italia Conti, providing pastoral support for a cohort of over 30 students as well as module leadership for both their performance-based Dissertations and their Professional Preparation intensives. I also helped manage and facilitate their final-year productions and West End Showcase.

I also served as the Head Tutor for Contextual Practice across all BA, CertHE and Diploma courses at Italia Conti. Alongside my core duties as a module leader and tutor across multiple qualification levels, I was responsible for the quality, standards and creative direction for Contextual Practice within the curriculum in collaboration with Course Leaders and Deputy Course Leaders. I also managed a team of sessional and salaried tutors while supporting students throughout their course of study.

Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (London, UK) — I am a Visiting Lecturer and Dissertation Supervisor on the MA/MFA Voice Studies: Teaching and Coaching course at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Along with my supervision work, I teach a Performing Research module designed to provide students with the tools necessary for engaging in arts-based research on a postgraduate level. I have also taught on the MA Applied Theatre and MA/MFA Creative Producing courses.

Brunel University London (London, UK) — I was a Visiting Lecturer on the BA Theatre course at Brunel University London teaching across a wide range of modules such as Advanced Acting, Physical Theatre, Writing for Performance, and Ensemble Production.

Abrons Arts Center (New York City, US) — I partnered with The School of Making Thinking and Abrons Arts Center to develop and execute an eight-week course for adults looking to challenge their preconceived perceptions of theatre and performance by engaging in collaborative and generative processes. I also executed a general marketing campaign and prospective student search prior to the course.

Theater Reconstruction Ensemble (New York City, US) — As TRE’s Founding Artistic Director, I created and facilitated yearly training intensives geared towards interdisciplinary artists looking to develop new techniques for devising and generating material. These week-long intensives provided professional artists with an opportunity to experiment freely, devise original material centred around a given theme and receive invaluable feedback from their peers. Many of the participating artists have gone on to present their work through commissions from such venues as Ars Nova, Playwrights Horizons and Lincoln Center Theater.

Bespoke Workshops (Global) — I offer bespoke practical workshops that engage participants in my own practice of practicing, which involves exercises in awareness, self reflection, intuition and creative collaboration. Participants walk away with a clearer understanding of how they practice and ways in which the act of practicing can establish individualised disciplines or areas of expertise within their own artistic fields. They also learn practical techniques for collaborating actively and intuitively with other practitioners.

Below is a sampling of testimonials from previous bespoke workshop participants as I’ve continued to build and develop my own practice of facilitation:

Emma Clark (Head of Programme at New Diorama) —

“John is a skilful and generous facilitator and connector of people. The effects of the pandemic on the theatre industry have laid bare the urgent need for approaches that build more trust, care, and mutual understanding into the working relationships of artists/freelancers and producers/institutions. John's approaches offer a bold, outside-the-box step in that direction, utilising creative practice to translate complex, difficult to articulate processes for the benefit of all artists involved.”

Jef Hall-Flavin (Lecturer on the BA Acting course at Norwich University of the Arts) —

“John makes it possible to re-think my administrative practices from the point-of-view of the artist. Through an effortless series of simple, clear conversations in a safe environment, I emerged more aware of my practice as a producer. John gave me new skills with which to merge institutional imperatives with those of the artist to forge a new way of working that foregrounds shared values.”

Laura Aiton (Development Officer at the Bush Theatre) —

“John encouraged me to think about new ways of collaborating with fellow theatre makers. He is a generous and considerate facilitator, as he created a space in which we could excavate our independent practices openly and safely.”